'Port Arthur killer treated better than asylum seekers'
August 5 2002


Port Arthur mass murderer Martin Bryant was treated better in jail than asylum seekers in detention, a former Woomera nurse told an inquiry into immigration detention today.

Appearing in Brisbane before the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission inquiry into children in immigration detention, registered nurse Mark Huxstep said he was still suffering from post traumatic stress disorder more than a year after working at the Woomera detention centre.

Mr Huxstep worked as a nurse, including in a managerial role, at Woomera from August 2000 to February 2001.

During that time he witnessed riots, self harm incidents, assaults and other "degrading" conditions.

Mr Huxstep said Bryant, who was convicted of shooting dead 35 people at Port Arthur in 1996, had better conditions than the asylum seekers.



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"One of my colleagues who treated the gunman from Tasmania said his living conditions were far superior to conditions people in detention have to live in," he said.

"Convicted rapists and murderers in prison - the horrible people in society - are treated better."

Mr Huxstep said during a briefing ahead of riots, medical staff were instructed not to treat detainees.

Instead, they were only to treat guards who needed medical attention.

Mr Huxstep said he was told water cannons would be authorised during riots and that they could cause the lifting of large tracts of skin from people.

He further criticised medical conditions at the centre, saying nutrition and dental treatment was particularly poor.

In addition, medical records were tampered with.

Mr Huxstep said one detainee had to resubmit a medical note four times detailing the detainees restraint through chemical injection.

Mr Huxstep is one of 10 people making submissions before the inquiry today